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Thursday, December 13, 2007

I know some of you will probably look at this post and have an overdose of cholesterol from the previous posts by other floggers. But this is not only the season for merrymaking, it's also the season for hairy crabs, all the way from China! "This's the season to eat Hairy, Fa La La La La, La La La La!", hehehe....So, while this is still available, I thought I had better blog about it so that to remind some of you who have yet to feast on Hairy (what the hairy crab is affectionately called by us after our dinner date) to go to King Crab soon. For those who still need more convincing that Hairy is something we should try (well, even if you're not keen, just try in once in your lifetime), HEEEEEERRRREEEEeeeee's HAIRY!!!

We started off with Tai Lake Hairy Crab (RM78/crab-USD23/crab). Hairy crabs are steamed over a pot of Zhisu leaves and ginger water to further accentuate the sweet taste of the meat.Why Hairy is called Hairy!

Look at all that crab roe!!! Given step by step instructions, we slowly broke the shell apart. There are certain parts of Hairy that shouldn't be consumed; the gills, heart and lungs (I kept asking the staff where the heart and lungs were located as I really had no idea where they were!). I was delighted by the haven found inside. The Tai Lake hairy crab wasn't that meaty but that was secondary to the primary importance of Hairy which is the crab roe itself! The crab roe was creamy and sweet, and totally change my perception of crabs in general. I ate the meat with the vinegar and shredded ginger dip. Apparently, that reduces the cooling effect that one might experience eating Hairy. For the same reason, we also had a cup of ginger tea and a cup of chinese Fa Tiu wine with sour plum (I enjoyed drinking the latter!).

Next up was the Yang Cheng Lake Hairy Crab (RM88/crab-USD26/crab). Eaten in the same way Hairy Tai was, I found Hairy Yang meatier and it's crab roe even creamier and packed more oomph! Boy! I was really enjoying my dinner, in love with Hairy but I know this love affair can't go on. Unless, I don't mind going broke and being cholesterol laden! Hairy Yang came wearing a cuff link, or what some would call a tag bearing an ID no. where one can check (if you're in China) whether Hairy is the real deal and indeed is THE Hairy from China.

Next on the menu was Lobster Sashimi. The meat (the glistening area next to the lobster's body in the photo above) was laid on top of crushed ice. The Australian lobster (RM298/kg-USD90/kg) looked really fierce and reminded me of the Predator from the movie of the same name!

Since I am not a fan of raw food, I dipped the meat into the hotpot. The cooked meat was springy and sweet and the wasabi gave it an extra kick! Loved it!Additional vegetables and tofu were cooked in the hotpot of superior broth! The soup was very delicious, I think I had quite a few bowls of it :o).Another dish to balance out our meal, we also had stir fried watercress vegetable.After my whirlwind romance with both Hairys, this Steamed Flower Crab didn't excite me though it was sweet and fresh. I took a small bite and spurned it. LOL! It could not take the place of Hairy. Hairy, you've got it all!This is usually a standard order whenever we dine at King Crab. This time round, they got the Salted Egg Yolk Squid done quite well. Not oily, it was crispy and so flavourful that this dish was gone in 60 seconds (well, give it another 60 seconds or so, hahaha...)!The remaining Lobster Head after being "sashimied" earlier was taken back to the kitchen and cooked braised with noodles as the final dish of the night. It was yummy (though I had an even yummier Lobster Head Noodles done by King Crab during my previous visit) but later we were surprised by an additional item.Lyrical Lemongrass treated us to this wonderful Tiramisu cake in celebration of her recent promotion. It was indeed the sweet ending to the night.

Take note that Hairy Crab season ends in January 2008. So if you're looking for a hairy encounter yourself, do make your way to King Crab soon. King Crab is the biggest importer in Malaysia of Hairy Crabs from China and it seems the ones from Tai Lake and Yang Cheng Lake are the better ones. They are currently having a promotion where you get 1 free for every 5 crabs ordered from the RM38/USD11 range. There are numerous sizes and origins, prices range from RM38 right up to RM118/USD35 for one.

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